High 5

I. How Design Can Help Build a ‘Transit Culture’– Earlier this month the transit agency serving metropolitan Rochester, New York, announced amillion-dollar “rebranding” effort. That means everything from a new logo to new uniforms — all aimed at changing the public perception “that buses are only for people who have no other option,” the Democrat and Chronicle reports. The next brand will try to surround Rochester transit with a sense of comfort and ease.

III. HealthCare.Gov Plans Deadline Leeway – Federal officials are planning a workaround that would effectively extend the March 31 deadline to enroll for health-care coverage for some users if technical glitches hamper a last-minute surge of signups on HealthCare.gov.

V. A City of Madness, Bypassed by the N.C.A.A. – In three arenas strung along a three-mile stretch of Tropicana Avenue, 19 postseason men’s college basketball games were played on Wednesday and Thursday. The games attracted tens of thousands of fans, with many more watching on television. They were played under rules set by the N.C.A.A., college basketball’s governing body.

50 Nifty

Governor drama in Obama backyard – Obama won by more than 15 percentage points in 2012 in the reliably blue state, but Republicans believe the Illinois governor’s mansion is within reach. Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is facing dismal approval numbers, dragged down by the state’s basket-case economic and fiscal condition and an unpopular tax hike.

Government approves medical marijuana research – A University of Arizona study, which still requires DEA approval, would examine whether pot can help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress. The green light may clear the way for broader studies.

The Big City Bike Parking Negative Feedback Loop – Everybody knows that parking is a big problem in New York. Sometimes it seems as if there’s no place to secure your vehicle. It can be infuriating searching for a spot. Especially if your vehicle is a bicycle.

Pure Midwest

Path from bankruptcy is a political minefield – In an interview with The Detroit News, the Washington lawyer says he did not adequately account for the culture of politicized confrontation that is making “consensual resolution” so elusive in the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy. Silly him, he actually thought the city’s grim financials would begin to deliver agreements as far back as last June.

South x. Southwest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p1eKYlFoKw

Editorial: Neglect breeds neglect in West Dallas – A little corner of West Dallas seems to have fallen off the map in terms of code enforcement and vigilance by City Hall to ensure that industrial businesses abide by all laws, not just the most convenient ones. The area, along Singleton Boulevard between Westmoreland Road and Loop 12, appears to have escaped major scrutiny for years, allowing an anything-goes mentality to prevail among some business owners.

Human Resources

Top 10 worst-paying cities for women – Despite improving since the 1960s, the gender pay gap is still quite wide in the United States. Moreover, the gap seems to have leveled off in recent years, remaining at a substantial level. In 2012, women’s median earnings were just 78.3% those of men’s median earnings. In dollar terms, women made $10,404 less than men that year.

Google Glass’s battery is lousy on purpose, says Google man – Thad Starner has been wearing computers on his face for 21 years. Today he works with Google on Glass, the web giant’s wearable computing project which, because of its high-profile backer and the accompanying publicity blitz, also happens to be the go-to example of all that is good and evil about wearable devices.

The do’s and don’ts of live-tweeting what’s heard on police scanners – But as exciting as it is to follow developing stories in real time, live-tweeting what you hear on the scanner can quickly turn nightmarish. Recall the Vancouver woman who unknowingly live-tweeted a car crash in which her own husband was killed. Recall the frantic pleas by Boston Police as hundreds broadcast their exact positions in the manhunt following the bombings.